Good people, if there is an Obama nation, it is situated in the eastern part of Africa, it straddles the equator, and, for give away clue, its name starts with K and ends with A.

Obama’s like a disease in these parts and everyone’s caught the fever. The lead stories in today’s press are all about Obama. I just went through my copy of the Sunday Nation and Obama features, in photo or text, in a whooping 17 out of 51 pages.

Pause. Mull. Be amazed.

There’s a little about McCain as well of course, but mostly in a sidekick, afterthought, supporting actor sort of way, to this drama that is Obama.

And, putting aside the rudimentary quantitative analysis and honing in on the detail, it’s a variety show of sorts:

A lead story about the last 48 hours of what is an historic election;

A story about ‘Obama the Musical’, a play being staged today by Tone Theatre Productions at the Kenya National Theatre;

A panel of Kenyan (political?) pundits predicting the outcome of the election on Tuesday, putting their mouths where their hopes are, as the sub-heading reads;

A story about how Obama’s relatives have congregated in Nyangoma Kogelo village where they will remain until after Tuesday’s US presidential election and how they have set aside a bull to slaughter in celebration should he win;

The editorial, which is titled: “Obama offers US chance to redeem itself”;

A curious editorial cartoon which features what appears to be a top level security meeting in the US with a General or some other such high-level uniformed official reporting that “Our intelligence reports indicate that there could be political violence in Kenya if Obama loses the election!”;

An article about three factors that favour Senator Obama’s quest to be the first black president;

A ‘letter from New York’ asserting that Obama will clinch the election;

A colourful advertisement of a 2 part documentary on Obama and McCain poised to be aired on KBC tonight;

An announcement of the winners of a nationwide schools’ competition which asked high school students to write both a question and a short letter to one or both of the major party candidates in the US election;

Another colourful advertisement that Citizen FM will provide special coverage of the US election in conjunction with Voice of America;

An opinion piece about why the US should care about world opinion polls on their presidency;

An article about the US election by Andrew Kohut, the president of the Pew Research Center;

An article about what the Obama White House might look like;

That hilarious advertisement from Dura Coat paints where the White House has been repainted a screaming yellow and Mr Marangi (found in translation: Mr Paints) is declaring that he agrees with Mr Barack, ‘It’s time for change!”

An article about people on the street have to say about the prospects of a President Obama.

There. There’s more but I’ve run out of listing steam and I’m sure you’ve gotten the picture. If you haven’t, it isn’t coming, it got lost in the mail. Or something.

I confess, also, to not being an objective observer, watching from the sidelines, simply reporting what I see. I’m stark in the thick of it, probably located at the epicentre.

From my observation perch thousands of miles away, I’ve become an expert on all the ups and downs and lefts and rights of this election.

I can list for you, without hesitation, all the battleground states that will likely decide this election and what the latest polling stats are for each. I can tell you how almost each three day rolling poll, from Gallup to Rasmussen to Zogby is weighted for party affiliation.

A classmate of mine was surfing the internet yesterday and came across a funny titled article on Slate with a photo of a woman next to it. I was looking over her shoulder so she asked, absentmindedly, ‘who’s this?’ and I responded, without hesitation, ‘Elizabeth Dole,’ and followed that up with a brief explanation of the Dole-Hagan saga. Of course she raised her eyebrow at me. I would raise my eyebrow at me too, as in ‘you know this why?’ Seriously, I know this why?

I can tell you what former Secretary of State Eagleburger said and then tried to unsay.

It’s as ridiculous as it is exciting.

That confessed, I don’t get the feeling that Kenyans have unrealistic expectations of an Obama presidency. Sample these opinions by ordinary, on-the-street Kenyans published in the Sunday Nation today:

“…We know that Obama will not get into the White House and start throwing goodies at Kenya, but Kenya will have produced a great man.”

“…The US has its own policies which he will be expected to follow and Kenyans should not expect much.”

“…If you look at Obama, he represents the face of the world. He has an African father and a mother from Hawaii(sic)…his win will cause a wind of change across nations who will understand that politics is about issues not personality…”

Oh well, roll the drums please, here comes history.